SSA disk question: duplicate hdisk number

[bi]

In the next couple of days, I will be exporting two volume groups from System A and importing them to System B. The VGs are on SSA disks seen by both systems.

The first VG has two hdisks. System B has two defined hdisks with the same number as the hdisks in the first VG. The disks aren't being used by System B.

The second VG has several hdisks. System B has a couple of defined hdisks with the same number as a couple of the hdisks in the second VG. Again, the disks aren't being used by System B.

Here are my questions:

1. Should I dig out my SSA manuals and reassign hdisk names to the disks that have the same names as the ones coming from system A?

2. If I can import the second VG with the name of an hdisk that System B doesn't have, what will the system do when it gets to an hdisk that is already defined (but not used) on System B? Will it fail? Will it rename the hdisk in the volume group I'm trying to import or will it rename the unused hdisk?

3. Could I delete the "duplicate" hdisk devices just before I do the import and then run cfgmgr after the import is completed? And if I can, should I also delete correpsonding pdisk?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[bi]

Or do I do an importvg into system B using one of the hdisks that the array is known by on system B?

 

[axelsche]

You can only import a VG from a disk that is known to the system you want to import it to.

1. You have to make disks available to System B (cfgmgr if not already avail.)
2. importvg -y <VGname> <hdisk_#_on_system_B>

Command 2 reads the VGDA from the disk you typed in.

A very good overview over tasks like that you can get from the Redbook &quot;AIX Logical Volume Manager from A to Z&quot; SG24-5432-00, which is available at

http://www.redbooks.ibm.com

HTH
Axel